I’m a lifelong Chicagoan and north sider (I do have friends on the south side!!) Have an undergrad in Accounting and a dual graduate degree (MBA in Marketing and Information Technology, and an MSIMC in Marketing and E-Commerce with a focus on niche subcultures). My focus of research has been consumer behavior and ethnic subcultures in the USA. Tamale Chica has taught workshops on stereo-type busting, ethnic marketing, and consumer behavior issues. I grew up in a typical rough Chicago hood that is now so gentrified that parking costs more than my family paid for rent. I’m a modern gal with hues of funk, fun, both old and new fashioned elements, a foodie and a technogeek.